cataclysm
18
9.2
- noun
- /ˈkætəˌklɪzəm/
- The earthquake was a devastating cataclysm that destroyed entire neighborhoods.
- natural cataclysm
- great cataclysm
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Watch on YouTubeBut then there was a cataclysm of some kind.
- But then there was a cataclysm of some kind.
- And you know, interesting art happens usually after a cataclysm or a war.
- As I said, I would emphasize crisis or change or cataclysm.
- And that they were brought to Egypt to be preserved during the last cataclysm.
- Like you can actually get off before, you know, the cataclysm.
- According to the Edfu texts, this this notion of of seven survivors of the cataclysm is pretty widespread.
- Covenants often follow cataclysm for a way forward for these local communities, right?
- It doesn't seem like it seems like they'd be smart enough to avoid some sort of Astro astronomical cataclysm from an asteroid or a comet.
- We have been through this cataclysm of the Holocaust, First World War, Holocaust, war, communism, mass murder, right?
- But if everyone tries to do that, what a cataclysm.
- And the business as usual is a is a prescription or cataclysm for the American middle class.
- And he he talks about like real proper, proper cataclysms, like mega, mega airline disasters and things like that.
- What we have in the case of the Drowned World is a cataclysm that has been going on now for really generations.
Examples
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Oh, usually a natural cataclysm... a freeze, a flood, a big rain.
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What we have in the case of the Drowned World is a cataclysm that has been going on now for really generations.
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And you know, interesting art happens usually after a cataclysm or a war.
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The greatest cataclysm in history.
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But then came a great cataclysm from outer space.
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We are the first species smart enough to grasp the cataclysms of the past.
Academic text (1992) -
How will we react to potential cataclysms of the future?
Academic text (1992) -
We are on the verge of a devastating cataclysm!
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There has been no lack of imagination in devising models that might explain the cataclysm.
Academic text (2003) -
What followed Gromov's exit grew rapidly into a cataclysm for the Soviets and a national disaster for the Afghans.
Academic text (2001)
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A sudden event that causes great damage, loss, or failure
781
3.0
A very sad event that causes much suffering and loss
733
4.1
A sudden large change in a country's government or society, often when people rise against leaders
174
7.0
A sudden terrible event that causes great damage and suffering
136
8.6
A great disaster that destroys the world, often caused by a divine power
102
4.8
Great destruction that leaves places badly damaged, for example after a war or storm
56
5.8
A sudden total failure that causes serious damage to a system
50
6.9
A sudden big change that causes confusion and problems
48
6.7
A terrible event that causes much harm and suffering
40
9.4
A very large battle or event that causes great damage to many people and places
40
3.7
A situation that seems like a disaster but is often not as bad
23
9.6
Very large destruction that causes many deaths, often from fire or war
19
4.6
A sudden major change that shocks and upsets a group or system
13
4.3
A sudden violent outburst of feeling or action
2
7.5
A sudden violent disturbance in a country or society
1
8.6
An event that kills most people or destroys life on Earth
Antonyms
How Destructive
Surface Forms
Morphology
cataclysm = cata + clysm
The parts are Greek combining forms (cata- + -clysm) not familiar standalone English words, so learners cannot reliably derive the meaning from the components.
Etymology
The word cataclysm comes from a Greek word meaning a great 'flood': kata- means 'down' and klysmos means 'a washing' or 'flood'. So a cataclysm is like a huge wash that suddenly destroys or changes everything.